


In Pursuit of Gold

by Selithiel



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Intimidation, M/M, Manhandling, Sexual Harassment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2017-12-14 23:21:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selithiel/pseuds/Selithiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo Baggins is a professor of cultural anthropology. Bilbo has been contracted by Thorin in his search to find the Arkenstone. When Bilbo delves into the ruins they are excavating, he finds something among the treasures of the ruins that he did not expect - as well as someone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Finders Keepers

**Author's Note:**

> I got a wild hair up my ass to write this idea. Rated mature for future sexual content. Please excuse the very horrible references to the source material - I couldn't help myself.

Professor Bilbo Baggins still did not quite understand why he had decided to go back out into the field. He had done the necessary work required of his position as a professor of cultural anthropology, and so doing any further research really wasn’t necessary. In the back of his head he knew that it certainly had something to do with the rather charming man who got him to do this in the first place, but that still didn’t quite justify it either way.

“Thorin… Do you really need me there for the excavation? That’s what an archaeologist is for.” Bilbo said almost crossly as he leaned against the wall of the hotel room they were sharing. Bilbo hadn’t quite gotten dressed yet – he was still in his robe and quite preferably wished to remain that way for the day. It had been a long couple of weeks, and as far as he was concerned much of his end of the work was done. He didn’t want out – he just wanted a break.

Thorin looked up from the papers he was looking over and then rubbed his forehead. Unlike Bilbo, he was dressed. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he was wearing a rather comfortable looking pair of jeans with a tucked in blue button-up shirt. “I am aware of that, Mr. Baggins.” Thorin stated gruffly. He understood that the professor was feeling a bit worn out. After all, Thorin was as well. Still, he was going to refrain from making any complaints. “However, that does not change the fact that your expertise may be needed nonetheless. I think I speak for everyone in the expedition when I state that we would all feel a bit cross if we ended up needing you and had to come back for you in the middle of the day.” Thorin’s tone brooked no argument, and Bilbo knew it.

Bilbo stared for a moment, and after a couple seconds of silence he nodded his head. “Right…” He heaved a small sigh. He felt like he’d been run ragged, but he could already tell that arguing would go nowhere. “Give me a minute then.” Bilbo got his clothes from the closet and walked into the bathroom. He emerged after a couple minutes dressed in a white shirt that was tucked into brown slacks. He crossed the room and took a seat on his hotel bed in order to get his socks on. Once they were on he got his boots on and looked over at Thorin. “Right then. Let’s get this over with.” Bilbo got up from the bed, grabbed his satchel, and headed out of the room before Thorin had even gotten up. If Bilbo was going to be made to go then he wasn’t going to wait.

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. Bilbo had already been to the site of the ruins a couple of times, and had done all the work he felt could be done. He didn’t understand what else there was for him to do. Bilbo crawled out of the jeep they arrived in and stretched. Admittedly he still did not quite feel as awake as he wanted to. “So what am I doing?” Bilbo asked while Thorin got out of the jeep. He got no response though. What a surprise. Bilbo heaved a sigh and followed Thorin to where everyone else was.

“Hey! You got him to come!” Came a rather cheery voice. “With the way he was talkin’ yesterday, I didn’t quite expect it!” One of the diggers in the company came over and clapped Bilbo’s shoulder with a gloved hand. “Heh. Of course I came, Bofur.” Bilbo smiled up at the taller man. One thing was for sure – Bofur usually made the day more bearable, and that was something Bilbo was going to need. “Knowin’ Thorin he probably didn’t even fill you in on why you need to be here today. We found another passage into the ruins. Dwalin already went an’ checked it out to make sure it’s safe and all, so you should have no problem headin’ right in there and scoping things out. He said there was lots o’ writing to look at, and if it says anything important we need you to let us know what’s up.” Bofur flashed a grin at Bilbo. Great. Safe or not, going into some dark ruins by himself wasn’t really on his list of fun things to do.

Bilbo wanted to complain. Bilbo wanted to sass and make his feelings about doing said things known. Unfortunately it was Bofur of all people who talked to him – and he could never say no to Bofur. He shifted a bit where he stood before nodding his head quietly. “Yes, yes… Alright.” Bilbo held back a sigh, and then smiled at Bofur. Bofur was infectious with his nice personality, and were Bilbo not running on such a lack of sleep he would be in a much better mood himself. “Well then, right this way Mr. Baggins!” Bofur grinned and started walking off. Bilbo glanced up at Thorin with a rather blatant pout on his features. “If I die down there, I will haunt you.” Bilbo muttered before he followed Bofur.

“Well!” Bofur rested his hand on his belt and looked at Bilbo with that grin of his. “Here’s your entrance. And here’s your flashlight with brand new batteries in it!” Bofur handed the heavy utility grade flash light to Bilbo. “Should last you more than you need, and it doubles as a weapon if necessary. Y’know, in case you run into anythin’ unpleasant in there.” Bilbo looked down at the flashlight and let out a nervous laugh. How comforting. “Well, at least it looks like it’ll sting if it hits someone.” Bilbo said as he tried to make light of the situation for himself. While Bofur let out a small laugh Bilbo stared at the doorway that had been uncovered. He looked it over for a moment, and then took a deep breath as he headed in.

Bilbo’s flashlight was on before it even got remotely dark. He wasn’t going to chance fumbling with it if anything happened. Not that anything would, surely. At least that was the mantra he was chanting in his head to keep his anxiety at bay. It was dry and a bit cramped down the passageway, and it certainly did not take long for it to get dark. “Just breathe…” Bilbo said to himself under his breath. “You’re getting funding for your research… It’s all worth it… Credit, another book to publish that my students won’t want to read.” He was trying to pep talk himself, but he found himself feeling more pessimistic the further he got in. There were interesting markings for certain, and he was starting to see why they had wanted him here. He ran his fingers along the wall and smiled as he saw inscriptions. “Ah…” He stopped and stared at a fork in the path. “I didn’t think it would go this far…” He sounded perplexed, and then reached into his satchel. He pulled out a handful of beads. He headed down the left side and dropped a few beads behind him as he walked. When he was certain there wouldn’t be another fork for a while he put the remainder of the beads he held back in his bag and continued on. 

Normally Bilbo wouldn’t be tempted to go so deep (especially since he was alone), but there was something bothering him. There was a draft, and this far in it couldn’t be coming from the entrance he came from. “But where?” He murmured under his breath. Curiosity overtook cowardice, and he found himself delving deeper and deeper in search of the source of the draft. He squinted when the beam of his flashlight hit something and reflected. He furrowed his brow and squinted, then stepped out of the hall and into a rather large room. “Oh… my…” Bilbo stood speechless for a moment. The room was filled with gold of all sorts. Not just coins, but platters and goblets and all sorts of things. “It’s like something out of a dragon hoard.” Bilbo mused, and even laughed lightly at the thought of such a silly thing. It wasn’t what they came there for, but it certainly was a nice find. Something about it felt off, though, and Bilbo almost found himself not wanting to even tell anyone about it until he had learned more about why it was there. Surely such a treasure would not have sat around untouched by anyone for so long.

Still, curiosity was ever present. Bilbo stepped further into the room and started looking around. He didn’t touch much, but instead observed. Bilbo suddenly yelped when he stumbled over something. He fell forward into some of the gold, and then rolled over. “Ow…” He pouted and sat up, then got on all fours and crawled forward. “What was that?” He said, running his hands over where he had stepped. He stopped. There it was. It was what they wanted, or rather, what Thorin wanted. Right there. The whole reason that they had even come there. It was a gorgeous gem, and all manner of light reflected off of it. Okay. Maybe he did need to take something. He got to his feet and pocketed the large gem, and was quite glad that he hadn’t lost the flashlight in his fall. “Right then.” He was feeling rather proud of himself, and was now making his way back. He would have time to look at the inscriptions and such later – right now this needed to get to Thorin.

After a while Bilbo started to feel something was off. Surely it hadn’t taken him this long when he was on his way in. He still hadn’t found the beads that he had dropped for himself, and that was worrying him. “I… I don’t understand.” He said under his breath. He didn’t want to panic, but he also was finding it hard to stay calm. “Bofur?” He called, wondering if maybe Bofur had followed him in and thought it would have been funny to get him lost. Bilbo certainly did not find it funny in the slightest. He started walking faster.

Suddenly he was slammed against the wall of the hall he was following. He yelped, but it was muffled by the hand that was covering his mouth. He had dropped his flashlight, and all he saw were golden eyes staring at him. “You shouldn’t take things that don’t belong to you, little burglar…”


	2. Of Burglars and Thieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo awakens to find himself in a hotel room; however, it is not the hotel in which he has been staying in. He quickly finds himself being confronted by the man who accosted him in the ruins.

"It's been over an hour and a half, Thorin. He should have come out by now." Bofur said, his voice filled with concern for their anthropologist. "I'm aware of that, but you know how he gets when he finds something interesting. He's likely distracted by something in there." Thorin responded a bit curtly, but his words did not seem to help ease the worry from Bofur's face. Bofur was Bilbo's friend, and he knew that unless Bofur had closure he was going to be concerned for some time. After a moment of contemplation Thorin heaved a sigh and nodded. "Right, then. I will go in there."

In Thorin went then. The floors of the ruins were tiled stones, which meant that there really wasn’t a visible trail that could be followed. He continued on though for some time, and as he did he started to wonder if he was going to find something that he didn’t want to. He’d called out for the anthropologist several times, and yet nothing seemed to happen. He heaved a sigh and shook his head. How far could Bilbo have possibly gone? Thorin grunted and chose not to think of it, and instead he continued on until something caught his eye. There was a neat pile of beads on the floor. He stooped to look at them and then reached forward to pick one up. He’d seen them before. Bilbo had a few embroidered onto his satchel. That begged the question of why they were there. There were no others to be seen – just the pile. Obviously Bilbo was not somewhere where he could easily be found.

Bilbo groaned lowly. His head was pounding. He scrunched up for a second before stretching and rubbing his eyes. A hotel room. It wasn’t the hotel he had been sharing with Thorin though. Bilbo rolled onto his back and took a deep breath before looking around in an attempt to figure out what was going on. He was on a bed, and was wearing exactly what he had on before. He slid off the bed and got up only to stumble. He held his head and winced. What had he been doing? He knew that he had gone down into the ruins that they were excavating. He knew that he followed a path until it forked and he left a trail. He knew he found what he was looking for. Almost immediately he fumbled with his pockets and patted himself down – nothing. No need to panic, right?

When Bilbo stepped out of the bedroom of the hotel he realized that it wasn’t just a hotel room – it was a full suite. This was definitely not what any of them had booked. He scanned the room in search of things that might be familiar. Nothing. It was fancy – lavish in fact. The carpeting was plush beneath his feet and the couch looked like it was crafted with the finest materials. It wasn’t right though. After taking a deep breath he started making his way to the door. Obviously no one was in the room. He hadn’t seen a soul or heard a thing whatsoever – it was dead silent.

“Leaving so soon?” Bilbo recognized the depth of the voice, and when he turned on his heel he remembered what had happened. He stared at the dark haired man while letting his mouth hang open slightly. Bilbo hadn’t been able to get a good look at him while he was in the ruins – not after dropping his flash light, but he certainly recognized those eyes. They were unique and not something that he was like to forget. 

Words didn’t come. A sort of stammering attempt at an exclamation was all the left Bilbo. He couldn’t stop the pang of fear that he felt. “Y-Yes, actually. I was leaving right this moment. I really do appreciate the hospitality.” Hospitality? What hospitality? Not that it mattered. Bilbo just hoped that if he were to say the right thing he might be able to just walk out of there as if nothing had happened in the first place.

“Really, you are?” The stranger approached Bilbo in a fluid movement before stopping just short of him. He loomed over him – towered in fact. “You stole from me, you know. Am I to just act as if such a thing hadn’t happened?” 

Bilbo did not enjoy the way that his personal space was being invaded, and what’s more he did not enjoy being slandered. There was no truth in those words, as far as he was concerned. “Stole? I stole nothing. We’ve been excavating that structure for a couple weeks now and I’ve not seen you there once.” Bilbo said boldly, yet something about his tone still came out sheepish. For a moment his eyes remained fixed upon the stranger, but the he glanced to the door out of the corner of his eye. How would that go? He could sprint over there, sure, but then what? If this person had gotten him here then he was pretty sure this person could _keep_ him here if he felt like it.

It were as if the taller of the two knew what Bilbo was thinking. A low, rumbling chuckle formed in the man’s throat and escaped past his lips. “Do you fancy yourself a comedian as well, burglar?” His hand shot out to grip Bilbo’s jaw tightly. “Or are you simply so ignorant as to believe that because you did not see anyone there before you that it meant that you had all simply owned the claim to it? If you ask me, that’s quite the gross assumption.” He tightened his grip upon Bilbo’s jaw. He could see from the look on the shorter man’s face that it was paining him.

Bilbo winced at the near-death grip that he felt on his jawline. There was no hiding the worry in his eyes – the fear that he wasn’t going to be leaving this room alive. He parted his lips and tried to say something, but all that came out were stammering sounds. The stranger let go of his chin, but did nothing to give Bilbo the space that he seemed to desire. Bilbo stepped back in an attempt to regain some of that space, but he felt himself bump back against the wall. He looked up at the stranger and took a deep breath while he slid his hand to his jaw to rub it. “I-I was contracted to come help. I have no interest in taking anything for myself there other than research.” Bilbo stated as calmly as his voice would allow him to. All the while he was shrunk back against the wall as much as it was humanly possible for him to do so. “So… As you can see, you’ve really no reason to keep me around.” Bilbo wasn’t making eye contact – he didn’t want to. He wanted to just leave, to go back to the hotel he was _supposed_ to be at. The deep chuckle he received in reply wasn’t very reassuring.

“I’ve plenty of reasons, I can assure you that much.” The tall stranger gave Bilbo a rough pat to the cheek before he turned on his heel and strode off towards the kitchen that the suite held. “Do you have a name? Or am I to continue to refer to you simply as a burglar?” The stranger glanced over his shoulder at Bilbo from where he stood in the kitchen. He would not have it be said of him that he was not a gracious host, even if his guest did not wish to be there.

Bilbo hadn’t moved from his spot at the wall. He was still having a hard time trying to get his mind wrapped around his current predicament. It wasn’t until he heard his host clear his throat that he looked at him. “B-Bilbo. Bilbo Baggins.” He said, clearing his own throat now before he took a deep breath. “Not that I think it’s of any import to you.” He said with a bit of fire to his tone, but there was still that underlying tone of worry.

“Well, Mr. Baggins…” Bilbo’s host said while he turned off the oven. “You may call me Smaug.”

_Smaug?_ “The… The gem thief?” Bilbo sputtered out. As someone who worked in the field of academics, Bilbo had been quite distraught to learn of the recent disappearances of quite a few treasures from some of the most prestigious of museums around the world. Bilbo suddenly felt a bit faint, but he managed to stop himself from passing out. 

“Yes, that would be me.” The self-gratification in Smaug’s tone made it clear that he was pleased that Bilbo knew who he was. “I certainly hope that isn’t going to be a problem for you, little one.” Smaug turned and had a platter in hand. He approached the table in the room and set it down before he pulled out a chair. “Have a seat.”

Bilbo watched Smaug warily. The way in which he was being spoken to didn’t sit well with him, but quite frankly he was hungry. For a second or so Bilbo didn’t move, but then he moved towards the chair and took a seat. He took a deep breath and sat. Right, that wasn’t so hard. He glanced at the food on the table. It looked good, and it certainly smelled good too. His attention shifted to the door again. He didn’t have to look at Smaug to know he was being watched though. He could _feel_ it, much like prey can feel the gaze of their predator. He cleared his throat and looked back at the food. At least that was safe to look at.

“Gazing at doors and windows will only make it harder, you know.” Smaug pulled the cork from a bottle of wine and poured it into two glasses. He slid one across the table and offered a mocking smile. “Go ahead.”

The way Smaug spoke was foreboding to say the least, but Bilbo was quite sure that if he were going to be killed it wouldn’t be with a glass of wine. He pulled it over, and then slowly sipped at it before glancing away. It was good – but it did little to calm his nerves. When he looked back to Smaug he saw that his host was dishing up what he assumed was lunch. It was a dish composed of potatoes and beef – and now that the plate was right in front of him it smelled even better. For a moment or so Bilbo simply stared at it, but then quietly he began to eat it. It was good. It was amazingly well cooked in fact, and considering he felt like he hadn’t eaten in almost a day he was not going to turn the food away.

“Well?” Bilbo heard Smaug say while Bilbo sipped his wine carefully. Bilbo glanced at him, but said nothing. “You know, I am not obligated to keep you alive – much less feed you. A simple show of gratitude would be nice.” The audacity of such a statement was appalling. Not _obliged_? Bilbo had already cleared his plate, and so he had no need to be at the table. He stood up, despite how poor in manners it was. “I’ll be excusing myself.” He stated firmly. “I don’t believe I owe my kidnapper any show of thanks.” Bilbo had the manners to push his chair in before he headed off towards the bedroom – the only place he knew aside from this main room of the suite.

Smaug shot a hand out and tightly grasped Bilbo’s wrist. He didn’t look at him, he simply finished off his wine glass while keeping his tight grip. “Excuse _you_ , Mr. Baggins.” Smaug set down his empty glass and stared at Bilbo from under his thick brows with a heat in his eyes that made Bilbo regret his actions quite quickly. “You will not excuse yourself, _burglar_.”


	3. Playing with Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo quickly finds that any and all retaliation is ill-met, and yet as he grows more frustrated with his predicament he finds it harder to hold his tongue. If only his words weren't met with intimidation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the length of time this took. SDCC took more out of me than I thought it would.

“Stop calling me that.” Bilbo said after a good moment or so of silence. “I am no burglar. Now if you would please let go.” Despite the firmness of his tone there was no disguising the falter in his confidence. Bilbo swallowed hard – he wanted to look away but something about the stare that he was receiving made it near impossible for him to do so. His lips parted in an attempt to say something else, but instead he hissed and drew in a sharp breath when Smaug suddenly tightened his grip on his wrist.

The taller of the two rose to his feet in a sudden movement. His grip on Bilbo’s wrist did not relent, and nor did the heat in his eyes. For a moment he did nothing, and allowed the difference in their size do the talking. The fear in Bilbo’s eyes was satisfying, and in all truth it made Smaug want to push him more. Bilbo’s personal space was further invaded when Smaug leaned down and stared him in the eye. There was barely an inch between them – perhaps half that. Smaug fought the urge to smile in lieu of watching Bilbo try to stay calm.

The silence was maddening. Bilbo would much rather that Smaug snapped at him rather than be in his face making not a peep. After what felt like forever Bilbo managed to tear his eyes away, but the second he did Smaug’s free hand was at his jaw with an equally painful grip. “Look. At. Me.” Smaug’s baritone voice near hissed. “You will not excuse yourself. Guest or not, you are under my rules here. Do you understand that?” If Smaug had broken the intense eye contact that he held he would have been able to see the way that Bilbo’s heart was near beating out of his chest. Silence followed again. Smaug’s grip on Bilbo’s jaw grew tighter in an attempt to motivate him to answer. An almost incoherent ‘yes’ was blundered from Bilbo’s lips, and with that Smaug let go of his jaw and dropped back into his seat.

And Bilbo went with him.

Smaug hadn’t let go of Bilbo’s wrist. This left Bilbo in the most awkward and uncomfortable position of being seated atop Smaug’s lap. “E-Excuse me!” Bilbo exclaimed when the initial shock of it had set in.

“I don’t very much appreciate be-“

“And I do not very much appreciate your tone.” Smaug shot a glare at Bilbo. That shut him up quite easily. With a tut and a shake of his head Smaug continued to eat his meal quietly. “Next time don’t excuse yourself and this won’t be a problem.” His tone dripped with condescension. Clearly this ruffled Bilbo by the way he exhaled a sort of huff as quietly as he could. Bilbo looked away from Smaug and said nothing as he chose instead to stare at the window. Indeed the window turned out to be a perfect distraction.

The next fifteen minutes dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Bilbo didn’t have to look at Smaug to know that the gem thief was taking his sweet time in finishing his lunch. It was aggravating – to put it nicely. Bilbo didn’t even take notice that Smaug was finished until he felt a hand pat his thigh. The mere feeling of it made his skin crawl. Had it been a simple touch it may not have mattered – but this was no simple touch. Bilbo didn’t need to be the most perceptive person in the world in order to notice that Smaug’s hand was uncomfortably close to his inner thigh.

Bilbo’s head near snapped around with his mouth open and ready to lay into Smaug – fear or not – but it seemed Smaug knew how to play this sort of game. By the time Bilbo even got out a squeak his hand had moved on to lift Bilbo up from his lap by his hips. Bilbo was easily deposited back on the floor where he had originally been standing before he was so rudely accosted.

Well. What was Bilbo to make of that?

His hands balled into fists at his sides while he stood almost indignantly. He had some choice words he wanted to use, but given the reaction he got not long ago he didn’t think that would be wise. That only left him with the options of standing and waiting or playing along. “…May I be excused?” The words were strained and it was obvious that playing along with this unannounced set of rules aggravated Bilbo. This wasn’t a man that Bilbo wanted to anger though between his reputation and the few less than kind acts that had been displayed during his short time with the man. Bilbo waited in silence while Smaug refused to even look at him for a time. That didn’t help Bilbo’s mood at all, but what was he going to do? Ask him to hurry up? He was sure he’d receive another harsh gesture for any such act.

Smaug leaned back in his seat with his napkin in his hands. He dabbed his mouth thoughtfully, and after being quite certain that he had sufficiently irritated his ‘guest’ he turned his gaze to him. “Good choice of words. You may.” The corner of his lip curled up into the smuggest smirk that Bilbo ever had the graces of seeing. If Bilbo hadn’t known better he would have liked to smack that look right off his face. Instead the quietest of ‘thank you’s was muttered and Bilbo returned to the room he had woken up in. He closed the door and leaned against it before letting out a deep breath. He raised his hands to his face and took a moment to just breathe. Where was he to start?

Rather – _what_ was he to start? He didn’t think that there was any way out of this. He glanced to the window in the room but knew that wasn’t going to be an option. There was no way he was going to scale his way down the hotel building and survive – and as much as he hated the situation, he certainly did want to survive.

Bilbo pushed from the door and made his way around the room. An inspection couldn’t hurt. With no idea as to how long he was going to actually be stuck there, it would be prudent of him to know what comforts the room had to offer. There certainly were plenty. The bed itself was quite nice, and the furnishings were just as nice if not better. Regardless of the lavish décor, a cage was still a cage. Bilbo crossed the room to the door that he assumed led to the bathroom, and he had assumed correctly. He walked in and took a look around. Figures – just as nice as the rest of the suite. Bilbo had already showered that morning, but he didn’t think that it could hurt to relax with a nice shower and have a space to clear his mind in. He started the shower up and made sure that it was set to be quite warm before he stepped away from the shower and started pulling his clothes off.

He still didn’t understand why he was even there. Why couldn’t he have been left there at the ruins? It wasn’t as if he could actually do anything to stop the man from leaving with what Bilbo had found. The confusion of it all earned a grunt from Bilbo while he neatly piled his clothes on the counter. He glanced at himself in the mirror for only a moment before he stepped into the shower. The warm spray of water was not only welcoming but soothing. He was already clean – and so he opted to just stand beneath the water and simply relax. The next ten minutes or so were spent in deep thought and silence with only the spray of the water to break it.

“He’s the burglar, not me.” Bilbo eventually muttered under his breath.

“I am no burglar. Do not mistake me for such.”

Bilbo startled and practically leapt back against the shower wall as he turned to look at the owner of that deep voice. Bilbo’s hands immediately shot down to cover himself while he stared at Smaug through the slightly fogged glass doors of the shower. When had he even managed to slip in? It had been so quiet, and Bilbo couldn’t begin to understand how a man of such height moved with such little sound. “Neither am I, and yet you keep insisting otherwise. Wh-Why are you even in here?” Bilbo’s words came out more jumbled than he would have liked them to, but given the circumstances he was surprised he said anything at all.

“Does it matter? This is my hotel suite, after all. My money has paid for it and I will do as I please within it. That is no concern of yours.” Smaug regarded the shorter man from where he stood near the bathroom counter. Just seeing him get worked up alone was entertaining. There was so much more he could do with that – it was just a matter of how far he wanted to push and how fast.

“I don’t care!” Bilbo snapped from the corner of the shower that he had backed himself into. At least Smaug was staying where he was. That had to count for something. “There is no reason for me to be here, and I did not come here by choice and so I do not believe that I have to abide by any of your frivolous rules!” His tone was curt, but there was no hiding the faltering in it. He knew he was not making the smartest of choices by choosing to argue like this. “Now if you would _please_ leave me to finish my shower – I’d quite like to have absolutely nothing to do with you.”

Smaug watched the way that Bilbo huffed in his little corner, as if he were safe there and able to speak his mind simply because a glass door was between them. Part of him wanted to just walk off and allow the little shit to think he had won, and then later he could show him just how terribly wrong he was. The other half wanted to show him right then and there. Both sounded fun.

With only the intention of intimidation in mind, Smaug began to work at the buttons of his clothing. He kept eye contact the entire time and watched the expression on Bilbo’s face change. “I think I will do as I please, _burglar_.”


	4. Testing the Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo finds himself losing his privacy whilst taking his shower, but feels that something is off about Smaug's demeanor.

Bilbo’s eyes were fixed upon Smaug.

It had only been a few hours that he had even been here and already he was finding himself fearing for his safety in ways that he didn’t believe he was going to need to. His mouth hung open, as if he were attempting to say something - anything - but nothing came out except pitiful sputtering attempts at words. Smaug’s shirt was already on the floor beneath his pants, and all that was left now was the pair of briefs he wore. Were it not for the fact that Bilbo was sincerely scared at the moment he’d have looked away the moment Smaug’s briefs landed in the same place the rest of his clothing had.

The shower door slid open, and in stepped Smaug into the steam of the shower. Bilbo watched and remained in place - as if staying still meant he was invisible. “G-G-Get out!” Bilbo finally exclaimed after what felt like forever to him.

The shower was large, but not large enough to have a hiding spot for Bilbo when Smaug chose to close much of the distance between them. Smaug loomed over Bilbo and brought his forearms to rest on either side of the corner while he stared down at the alleged burglar. It wasn’t the first time that there had been a lack of space between them, but the lack of clothing near threw any of the other experiences out the window in comparison. There was silence. Nothing but the spray of the shower hitting the shower floor and Smaug’s back. While he felt no second wave of bravery or any such emotion, Bilbo opened his mouth to speak again.

“Do _not_ tell me what to do.” Seething, Smaug interrupted Bilbo before Bilbo could even start. “I do as I please, and if you wish for this cohabitation to go even remotely well for you then you will learn to hold your tongue lest I give you leave to use it.” Seeing the fright in Bilbo’s eyes was more than satisfying, and was enough to tell Smaug that his point had been made. “And you will know when that is.” Smaug finalized his words and stepped back from the cowering man, and with that he turned and pulled over one of the bars of soap provided by the hotel. He made no other move to even _look_ at Bilbo.

After a short while Bilbo slowly slid up against the wall and then pushed back from it. He took in a shaky breath, and then looked to Smaug. It seemed as if he was being ignored altogether. Although still shaken that made Bilbo feel quite a bit better knowing that Smaug’s display of dominance appeared to be over with for now. Bilbo kept his distance, and for the most part he kept his eyes away from the other man. He glanced over now and then, just in case, but aside from that his eyes were quite fixed upon his feet.

Smaug took notice of the way that Bilbo had done as he was told. He knew better - that it wasn’t going to be the first time that he was talked back to like that. That would change when Smaug was ready to act on impulse, but for now he thought it better to bide his time. There was no fun in a game like this is he put everything in all at once. He glanced at Bilbo out of the corner of his eye after stepping out of the spray of the water. He took a step back and ran his hand through his hair while watching Bilbo step into the water. It was painfully obvious that Bilbo was rushing, and that was exactly why Smaug had taken his time washing off. Smaug had hoped to catch Bilbo taking a few glances at him - but it hadn’t happened. He wasn’t going to let that be a blow to his ego. He didn’t need the validation of some archaeologist or whatever he was. Given the fact that Bilbo was not looking Smaug decided to take his own moment to look over precisely what it was he had brought ‘home’. Bilbo certainly wasn’t fit, but it was in a way that could be passed off as cute _at least_. No muscle at all - that was for certain. Smaug leaned back against the cool tile of the shower wall (which earned a grimace but nothing else). He took the other in entirely, and by the time Bilbo had started to turn off the shower Smaug had decided that he did indeed like what he saw. Bilbo would know nothing of it though.

Bilbo turned almost cautiously, but saw that Smaug was opening the shower door and stepping out. Not a single look - not once. Bilbo was thankful for it, but he was _confused_. While no justification came to mind, Bilbo was quite certain that it had something to do with Smaug wanting to keep him on his toes. If that really was the case then Smaug was doing an excellent job of doing so. Bilbo stood quietly while water dripped from him as Smaug took his sweet time drying off. Bilbo glanced to the towel hanging by the door, but getting to that meant getting in close quarters again. Bilbo was all too happy to have his space back and wasn’t going to just give it up. The towel could wait. He looked back to Smaug, whose back was to him. Bilbo could easily spot the back muscles as well as the muscles in his arms when he lifted them to dry under them. While he wasn’t exceptionally muscled, Smaug was definitely built enough to cause some pain if Bilbo ever got the ludicrous idea to fight instead of run. _Like that would ever happen._ Bilbo made a face at the thought of it. He waited with all the patience he could muster, and finally it paid off when Smaug left the room clad in a towel. Bilbo stepped out of the shower and expected the mat to be there, but when he looked down he saw that he had stepped on Smaug’s clothes. Bilbo took a deep breath in and released it in a huff. _The nerve._

Bilbo got dressed, and in an act of defiance he left the clothes piled where they were. He was not there to clean up after anyone. Smaug should be glad that Bilbo was cleaning up after himself alone. When Bilbo stepped out of the bathroom he was quite disappointed to find that it was still light out. He wanted the day to be over with. He glanced for a clock, and when he spotted it he was able to take some comfort in knowing that it was at least early evening - the sun simply hadn’t gone down yet. He approached the bed and flopped into it. “At least I have the room to myself...” Bilbo was quite sure that he had spotted another bedroom in the suite when he was having lunch, but for all he knew it was something else. He shook his head and looked around the room again. Nothing. Just silence. When he saw Thorin again - _if_ he saw Thorin again - he was going to be sure to give him an earful over having made him go out to the ruins that day.

Whatever concerns Bilbo had about falling asleep had all been unfounded. Bilbo didn’t even remember crawling under the covers as he drifted into sleep for the night. He slept hard, and all the while hoped that he would manage to awaken elsewhere. His dreams were nothing special. Nothing that he remembered, at least. The only thing that he had been able to recall was the near constant repeat of that word which he was growing to hate. _Burglar_.

Bilbo reached up and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand while letting out a groan. He scrunched up, and then stretched out. A yawn left him, but in the midst of his waking he could still hear that word. “I swear...” He uttered groggily while lowering his hand. He opened his eyes, only to find that his captor was standing beside the bed and was once more looming over him.

“You’re not going to sleep in like that every day, I’ll have you know.” Smaug narrowed his eyes at Bilbo for a moment whilst regarding him. He was fully dressed - no pajamas or anything of the sort. He looked like he was going to go out, and Bilbo was right. Bilbo sat up slowly while he tried to think of some kind of retort to that. By the time anything even halfway decent came to mind Smaug was over at the door and looking at Bilbo over his shoulder with a sort of sneer on his features. “I’m going out. Have something ready to eat by the time I get back, burglar.”


	5. Of Decisions and Opportunities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being left alone in the penthouse, Bilbo must decide what he is to do about his opportunity for freedom. He takes a chance, but can only hope he's made the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG.
> 
> Now that I've gotten that out of the way...  
> Here's chapter 5! I spent quite a bit of time working out the manner in which I wanted a certain event to occur, but I think I managed to pull it off relatively close to what I wanted it to be. Thank you all for being so patient with me.

The options were seemingly endless. Bilbo could run now. Bilbo could stay. Bilbo could hide. Bilbo could submit for now and make the aforementioned food. Bilbo could bide his time. Or – Bilbo could do a little of each.

Really, at the time it all seemed _so_ perfect. Then again that may have been the problem. Bilbo made something to eat as Smaug had told him to do so. He didn’t half-ass it either. On top of that it smelled absolutely superb (which was the point). With the smell filling the air of the hotel suite Bilbo hoped that Smaug would be at ease. He was certain the smell had slid down the hall, and in turn he hoped that it meant Smaug would smell it before even reaching the door. Bilbo wasn’t entirely sure what building a false sense of security would even do to help, but it had to be worth something.

It wasn’t long at all before the table was set with quite the nice display. It truly did seem a shame to just leave it there like that – especially the cheese omelet. After a good growl of his stomach Bilbo decided it couldn’t hurt to have just a bit, and so with another delay Bilbo quickly polished off a plate before making sure he had his things (which wasn’t much at all). He hastened to the door, only to stop. “My bag, that’s right.” He turned heel and glanced about the room. _Where would it even be?_ A sort of distressed huff left him at the thought, but he set about practically tearing apart the room in search of it. He stared at the door to Smaug’s room. “Of course.” A soft tut followed his words and he walked over to the door. He opened the door with the most cautious of efforts before he peered inside warily - as if the man might still be in there. With a near-silent step in he surveyed the rather immaculate condition of the room. “I’m not sure what I expected.” He murmured while shaking his head to himself. With that he set about investigating the room. He tried his best not to disturb anything (although really the voice in the back of his head told him he should just destroy the room in return for all of this trouble), and his efforts proved to be quite successful. By the time he found his bag he’d been through almost the entirety of the room. Regardless of that the room looked as if it’d been untouched. “Shouldn’t be a problem unless he can smell me…” He slung his bag over his shoulder before sifting through it. Everything was there. Even his phone. “…That I did not expect.”

He half-expected it to be dead. Or for the battery to have been removed. Or for the SIM card to be gone. However, to his surprise, when he held down the power button it actually turned on. Really, could he actually be _that_ lucky? He wasn’t going to second guess it – not now. He needed to get out of there. A phone call was going to need to be made, but he felt it would be best if he waited until he was out of the hotel before making it.

It was only a matter of minutes before Bilbo had a stash of food in his bag and a few other necessities before he took that first step out of the room. There was no denying that he felt an imminent sense of dread – that somehow Smaug would be standing right around a corner ready to ambush him. It seemed like something the man would do, after all. His worries seemed unfounded for the time being, considering the fact that the hallway was clearly devoid of anyone or anything other than a decorative plant here and there.

A deep breath was taken. Silence. _Nothing._

Bilbo shut the door behind him. At first he was utterly silent. He padded down the hall as swiftly as he could without making any noise. He stopped when he saw the elevator. It was too risky. It was the only one in the hall, and that meant that if Smaug happened to be on his way up it was the one he would take. Bilbo had never been more thankful for a stairwell in his life – he was quite certain of it. Smaug obviously enjoyed luxury, and elevators were arguably just that. Really it all fit together quite well in Bilbo’s head. Without any further hesitation Bilbo was heading all the way down multiple flights of stairs as he made his way from the penthouse suite down to the ground floor. He stopped at the door, but not to catch his breath. He peered out the window on the door in hopes of getting a good view of the lobby. Not the best view, considering his height (or lack thereof), but the coast seemed clear. “Casual. Be calm.” The words were uttered under his breath as a last encouragement. Hesitation could only hamper him. He pushed open the door and stepped into the lobby. He didn’t linger in place for even a second, and instead opted to stride as casually as he could manage to the exit. He avoided eye contact with just about everyone save for a receptionist at the desk. It would have been nice to think nothing of it, except for the moment they made their eye contact the man at the desk furrowed his brow.

That second of confusion spurred Bilbo to look away. He picked up his pace and in moments he was out the door and heading down the street. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know where he was – he just needed _out_. Worry wracked his mind. He could only hope that the receptionist was simply confused because he didn’t recognize Bilbo as a guest that was staying at the hotel – but a pit in Bilbo’s stomach left him feeling otherwise. His pace only quickened the longer he continued on until he broke out into a sprint. He looked around for something - anything – that screamed safety. He didn’t recognize where he was, but surely everywhere had its landmarks that gave away _something_. He didn’t stop until he spotted a café across the street. It was small and cozy in appearance, and that all by itself made Bilbo feel as if it was so very welcoming.

The moment he reached a crosswalk he continued to the other side of the street. He grabbed the handle to the door and glanced over his shoulder for good measure before stepping inside.

There was a light buzz of noise all about the café. Nothing loud and obnoxious at all. Even though Bilbo’s stomach was still in knots he felt himself calming just from being inside there. He approached the counter, as not to stick out, and ordered himself a much needed cup of tea. Once it was in hand he walked over to a seat as close to the back as he could and took his place there. He fumbled in his bag for his phone, and to his relief it was still there after the small marathon he ran.

“Please, please…” He murmured. It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders the moment he saw that he had quite the reception. It was almost too good to be true, really. Immediately he pulled up his contact list and dialed the first number that made the most sense. He pressed the phone to his ear and found himself hoping for the best.

Visibly Bilbo relaxed in his chair seconds later. “Thorin – it’s me. I... I-Yes, Thorin, I know.” A cautious glance was cast about the café, just for peace of mind. “I didn’t _leave_ Thorin.” Perhaps he hadn’t picked the best of persons, but it was what had made sense. “Yes, I found something there but that’s not what I’m calling about!” He exclaimed as lowly as he could. He was clearly becoming frustrated. He wasn’t getting the responses he expected. Of course Thorin was concerned about what Bilbo found down there – after all, the whole reason that Bilbo was there was to help with the excavation. Still, Bilbo didn’t understand why he couldn’t get at least an inkling of concern from the man on the other end. “I don’t even know where I am.” A heavy sighed followed his words. He glanced down to his bag which sat at his hip. “If you want anything you’re going to have to find me. Can’t you trace my call or something? With all that equipment there I hardly find it impossible you know.” He was getting impatient. Not so much with the conversation, but more so with the situation and the possibility of Smaug rearing his head at any moment.

“It’s _Smaug_ , Thorin. _That_ is what happened. That is why I’m gone as well as why I have something you want. Unless you come get me I can’t do anything except wander about here. I’ve got some money, so I might be able to hold up somewhere while I figure out where I am. I don’t think I can be that far away from all of you. It doesn’t look like where our hotel is though.” He paused to sip his tea. Tea was always calming, but he didn’t expect it to actually calm him like it was now. Of course, almost any semblance of that calm was gone as he listened to the venomous words spewing forth from the other end of the line. He didn’t know all of the details, no, but Bilbo knew that there was some history there.

Bilbo listened as Thorin continued on, and all the while he kept glancing about the café. He had been so much calmer moments ago, but the fit of anger he was being subjected to made it hard to keep his nerves calm. “Thorin, _please_ -” Bilbo paused, and then took a deep breath when the other end finally quieted down. “Thank you.”

“I’m doing what I can. As soon as I find a place I’ll tell you what it is. That should make it easier to pinpoint my location, yes? …Okay, okay.” Another deep breath. Calm. That was all he wanted right now. Just calm. “Thorin. I’m _scared_. You know more about him than I do, you know what he’s capable of. Just being with him the past couple of days has had me on edge enough. I need out of here.” Another wary glance about the café – for good measure. “Should I?”

It made sense. Staying in one spot would make it easier to get caught, wouldn’t it? “…You’re right, yes.” Bilbo got up and started making his way to the exit. He flashed a smile at the woman who had sold him his tea. It was amazing how much better he felt when she smiled back. Much better than the reaction he got at the hotel.

“Okay, I’m looking.” Bilbo spoke the moment he was out of the little coffee shop. He walked down the street at a much more casual pace than his earlier sprint. “Nothing familiar yet, no. I’ll try to describe as best I can though.”

And he did. Bilbo made his way down to another street and all the while he gave Thorin details of what he saw. Street names, addresses, names of various business. Not very much was in English, but that didn’t matter. It just had to be something that could be _found_.

“I’ve spotted a hotel. I think I should go for this one, Thorin. This is the only one I’ve seen since the last two. That was almost twenty minutes ago. I - yes, yes. Alright.” A paranoid glance over his shoulder was cast. He couldn’t help it. Of course it looked suspicious to do such a thing, but could he be blamed? He certainly didn’t think so. “Okay, so when I go in I’ll set my phone down but I won’t hang up. You can listen to everything I ask and take note of the answers I get.” It was calming for Thorin to agree with Bilbo given the situation, and it was even more calming for him to have been able to speak with him the entire time he had been out and about since leaving the café. He wasn’t sure how to put it, but when he figured it out he would have to express his gratitude for that after giving him a good earful for getting him into so much trouble in the first place.

“Okay, I’m going in. Putting the phone down for now.” Bilbo lowered the phone and offered a smile to the clerk at the desk. The clerk looked friendly enough, which helped set Bilbo at ease as far as having settled on this hotel. “Hi. Have you got any rooms available for just one? Should be for a couple nights.” Bilbo flashed a smile. The transaction went smoothly, and Bilbo went through a myriad of questions. Already he felt so much more at ease just knowing where he was. He thanked the clerk profusely, and after receiving his key (which took longer than he wished, but he wouldn’t complain) he headed to his room.

“Let’s see…” He looked down at the key, and then to the numbers on the doors he was passing by. “Ah, here we are.” He stopped and opened up the room. It was quaint – nothing quite close to what he had seen in that penthouse. That was a good thing, though, and Bilbo wasn’t going to think twice on it. He shut the door behind him and walked over to the bed where he set his card key down. He fished around in his pockets, and then pulled his phone out. “Are you still there, Thorin?”

A pause, and then a sigh of relief. “Good. Did you get all of th-”

A warm hand clapped over Bilbo’s mouth from behind. He didn’t need to think. He didn’t need to guess. The first time in the ruins had been more than enough to leave the sensation fresh and memorable. Bilbo could hear Thorin on the other end asking if something happened, but not even a peep left the man as he stood shock still.

“Don’t you worry about a thing, Thorin Oakenshield.” The all-too familiar voice spoke as Smaug removed the phone from Bilbo’s hand and pressed it to his ear. “He’s safe. Along with your precious stone - with _me_.”

Bilbo’s heart sunk lower than he thought possible. He was quite sure he was on the verge of fainting, but the tight grip at his mouth was enough to keep him grounded. He breathed in shakily through his nose. His eyes darted to the mirror at the side of the room, and they watched as Smaug hung up the phone and deposited it into his pocket. “You’ve been a poor guest, I’ll have you know.” Smaug spoke quietly, yet somehow despite that his words had so much _edge_ to them. Smaug’s free hand slid to Bilbo’s shoulder and rested there.

His grip tightened, painfully so, until he heard a muffled whimper. “What are we to do about that, _burglar_?”


	6. Of Friends and Treasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being caught by Smaug again Bilbo finds himself trying to play things safe. At least that's what he had hoped to do, but as Smaug tries to break through Bilbo's passivity Bilbo finds it harder to simply behave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the apologies ever for how long it took me to get this update out! I've been working on quite a few things lately and have been gearing up for the upcoming semester. I hope to get chapter 7 out much faster than I did this update. I love all of you and thank you for your patience and continued support!

“You may sulk all you wish, it isn’t going to change a thing.”

Bilbo didn’t bother to look over while Smaug spoke. He hadn’t since Smaug had mysteriously appeared within the hotel. Bilbo sat shrunk back against the headboard of the bed in the room. His knees were pulled to his chest in an all too defensive manner and it didn’t seem that he planned on changing that anytime soon. He knew that if Smaug had his way things wouldn’t remain like this.

“You may also continue to ignore me,” Smaug carried on, “However you will find that I always have _my_ way with things.”

As far as Bilbo was concerned Smaug could prattle on as much as he liked. It still wasn’t going to change a thing. Bilbo needed a plan. Even though he’d failed to escape once didn’t mean that things were hopeless. Thorin knew where he was now – sort of. The only issue was whether or not he could get there before Smaug decided to switch locations. In fact Bilbo was surprised they weren’t leaving already. It bothered him enough to the point that he considered asking, but he didn’t think it worth the ego trip he would sit through. He wasn’t going to say a word. Not one. Not at all. Curiosity be damned it just wasn’t worth it. Smaug was aiming for a reaction, Bilbo was certain of that, and that meant that he shouldn’t give it to him unless necessary. So instead of speaking a word Bilbo turned his head away and stared at the wall in silence.

Smaug typically prided himself on his ability to just _win_. The fact that the head of curls was facing away from him was unacceptable. What was equally unacceptable was the way in which the burglar sat there so silently. The man was entirely sure that Bilbo was doing this to dig at him – that he was _trying_ to irritate him. What other explanation could there be?

“The moment you stop being amusing is the moment I get rid of you, I’ll have you know.” Smaug stood from the rather plush chair he had been seated in and instead he crossed the room over to the mini-bar. He had to admit that he hadn’t expected such amenities in a hotel like this, however he wasn’t going to complain about it either. He prepared himself a glass of what looked like a nice red wine. He swirled it idly in his hand whilst searching the room over quietly. It wasn’t up to par with his living standards which had him sorely missing the penthouse they’d been in. His nostrils flared at the thought while he raised the glass to his lips to take a drink.

“I’m quite alright with that, thank you,” Bilbo answered.

“Mayhap I was not clear enough with you, thief,” Smaug said and slowly turned on his heel to regard the man on the bed. “When I say get rid of, I did not mean let you go like some bird leaving its cage.” Smaug approached the bed as he spoke, his baritone voice remaining firm in tone. “If I were to simply allow you to leave, it would only be in ruin. Much like the condition in which I left the estate of one Thorin ‘Oakenshield’ when I took care of him.” Smaug’s eyes narrowed as they held direct contact with the smaller male. The realization on Bilbo’s face was almost enough to make him giddy. Almost.

“You seem surprised. Surely he’s told you the tale of his ruin, of why he so desperately sought that which I now have… again. Thanks to you, thief.” Smaug continued while he turned his back on Bilbo in order to return to the mini bar. He poured another glass and waited.

“He has. I fail to see the importance of that.” Bilbo said while looking down to the carpet. It was a lie which Bilbo was sure that Smaug would detect with ease. The importance of knowing such a tale was painfully obvious. Smaug could, and would, destroy Bilbo if he so pleased. The smaller of the two knew that very well. _And yet he keeps me around. Some of my words aren’t wasted, are they?_ He thought as his brow knitted.

Smaug looked down at the wine in his hand. He wanted a different response. He wanted a _reaction_ , but instead Bilbo was being entirely passive. Infuriatingly so. The gem thief’s brow furrowed while he lifted his glass to sip at it quietly. He knew just how to get a reaction from Bilbo. In fact he knew numerous ways, but it was a matter of which one would have the best effect. Once the glass was empty Smaug placed it down upon the counter. For what had to be at least a minute he simply stood there, which allowed Bilbo a moment of silence for himself. Unsettling silence. When Smaug spun on his heel he was met with the same sight as before. Bilbo hadn’t budged nor had he even looked over to Smaug. That needed to change. _He’s bored when he should be fearing me._ Smaug thought while a grimace graced his features. “Do you?” Smaug asked as he began to approach the bed. “Mayhap I should educate you, _thief_.”

Bilbo wasn’t going to look at Smaug until he felt the sudden shift of weight on the bed. He turned his head only to be met with Smaug’s face a mere few inches away. Bilbo’s eyes widened while his hands gripped at his knees more tightly in an attempt to hide the sudden flash of fear that surged through him. He could do this – he could _win_ this battle. “Thank you, but I don’t believe myself to be in any need of education,” The smaller male said with a hint of irritation that he could only hope disguised the worry he felt.

Smaug leaned more weight onto the knee that he had on the bed as he held eye contact with his thief. “Oh how I disagree with you, burglar. I do not believe that you know the extent of wrath and ruin which I have inflicted upon your friend. Of how I claimed all he has ever owned for myself. That, however, is not what I will teach you thief.” Smaug paused only for a moment to allow his words to sink into that head of curls before him.

Bilbo needed to think quicker than this. He swallowed hard and tried with all the might he could muster to ignore the miniscule amount of personal space he was being allowed. He was afraid. There was no denying the churning in his gut or the cool rush that ran down his spine, but there was also no denying the flash of anger he felt either. It didn’t matter that Bilbo did not know the full extent of what had transpired between Thorin and Smaug. What mattered was that Thorin was his _friend_ and Smaug was now bragging about how he had destroyed Thorin’s formerly happy life. Smaug was the reason for Thorin’s unhappiness and the fact that Smaug was relishing so deeply in it was disgusting. “Thorin,” Bilbo started shakily, “Is my friend. He doesn-“

“Your… _friend_?” Smaug had closed the space between them. His words purred into Bilbo’s ear as they rolled from his tongue. “Not only a thief, but a _liar_ as well,” Smaug continued, “You fancy him, don’t you little one?”

Bilbo wasn’t sure what was worse. Smaug’s words or the voice that spoke them into his ear. His heart raced in his chest for reasons that he couldn’t begin to fathom. “N-No,” He blurted, “You misunderstand. There is no such th-” Bilbo was cut off again. Not by words but by a hand resting on the underside of his thigh.

“I am no fool,” Smaug hissed as he squeezed at the clothed flesh beneath his hand, “But if you think that Thorin will care for you over his precious stones then _you_ are the fool.”

Bilbo’s breath had caught in his throat. There was no clever quip or lie that came to mind. His eyes searched the bedding as if there were some answer embroidered in the cloth for him to find.

“Or… perhaps you are simply one of the only treasures that he now has in his life,” Smaug said and, with a gleam of delight in his eyes, watched as Bilbo finally looked at him. “A possession, yes. How it must hurt him so to know that I have acquired yet another one of his gems.”

Anger flashed in Bilbo’s eyes. His hand shot out and slapped Smaug across the cheek. Not mistaking anger for courage he quickly scooted from the bed and stepped onto the floor. “I am not some possession, and Thorin is not that sort of person!” He snapped. He didn’t think this some newfound courage but he knew that he couldn’t allow Smaug to continue to slander his friend in such a way.

Smaug was listening. Barely. He hadn’t bothered to look back at Bilbo. He instead kept his gaze fixed on the wall. The sheer impudence of the smaller male could not go unpunished and yet at the same time there was something about the fiery display that he could appreciate. At least that was what the stirring in his loins told him. He slid off the bed without looking at Bilbo once. He stood for a moment, facing away, and raised his hand to touch where he had been struck.

Bilbo watched in his mixture of anger and fear. He wasn’t going to get away with what he had done but he also didn’t know what to _expect_. That was what scared him most. Smaug had already proven that he could be violent. _Amongst other things,_ Bilbo thought as he swallowed hard while keeping his gaze fixed on Smaug.

Smaug, still silent, turned and approached Bilbo. He made eye contact and held it. The thief had backed himself into a corner and Smaug had no intentions of letting him worm his way out of it. He stopped before him and planted both hands on either side of Bilbo before leaning down to his level. “You are nothing more than a possession. Do not let your naiveté tell you otherwise, liar. Thorin is not here. He is not going to be here because he is not coming for you. I see your doubt, burglar,” Smaug paused to let it sink in. “And yet… You would still have him fuck you, wouldn’t you?” Smaug said as his gaze bored into Bilbo. With bent knee he nudged his leg between Bilbo’s before slowly rubbing upward. His lips curled into a most delighted smile as he watched his burglar’s doughy cheeks flush red. “You want him to rescue you and whisk you away as his treasure, not some rock, and have him reward you for all that hard work you have done just for him.”

Bilbo’s lips parted and a gasp escaped them. He shrunk back against the wall but found no escape the as Smaug’s gaze remained upon him. He shifted and tried to close his legs in hopes of somehow pushing Smaug’s leg away but had no such luck. His thoughts jumbled and raced through his mind without allowing him to even decide if he agreed with the words Smaug spoke or not. There was some truth to them, sure, but just how much? He couldn’t stop on any one thought long enough to concentrate. His head felt light and his legs felt weak. There was a warmth that stirred between his legs with the continued rubbing and attention that his clothed cock was now receiving. He closed his lips tightly and swallowed back the whimper that built in his throat. He wanted to look away so desperately but Smaug’s gaze was so intense that it was hard to even _blink_. Was it all the talk of Thorin? Or was it that voice? Perhaps it was the physical stimulation. _Or all three_ , he managed to think with a deep breath. After what felt like an eternity Bilbo’s lips parted again. “You’ve made your point,” He half-squeaked.

“Have I, burglar?”


End file.
